Planning Fall Classes with Your Teen's Goals in Mind

Fall might feel far away, but now is the perfect time to start planning your teen’s high school science courses! With so many options, intro level or honors, live group classes, or self-paced, it can feel overwhelming to choose what’s best for your teen and your family’s schedule.

In this episode, I’ll break it all down for you. We’ll explore how to align science courses with your teen’s academic goals, whether they’re heading toward a STEM career or just need to fulfill their science requirement with confidence. You’ll also get a clear comparison of live group classes, self-paced courses, and one-on-one tutoring so you can decide which format best fits your teen’s learning style.

Plus, I’ll walk you through a simple planning process to map out the school year, set goals, and ensure success—without stress. Whether you’re homeschooling or supplementing a traditional education, this episode will help you feel confident in your choices.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Choosing High School Science Curriculum
• 0:59 Understanding Long-Term Goals
• 1:56 Different Course Levels (Intro, Standard, Honors, AP)
• 3:31 Types of Classes (Delivery)
• 5:37 Planning for Success
• 8:43 Creating a Successful Science Curriculum

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Fall may seem far away, but now is the perfect time to start planning your teen's high school science classes. With enrollment opening up, the choices can feel overwhelming, whether you choose an intro level or honors, live group classes or self-paced. So how do you decide what's best for your teen and your family's schedule? Well, in this episode I'll break it all down and give you the tools to confidently choose a science curriculum that fits your teen's goals and keep them engaged. Let's dive in. Welcome to Teaching High School Science. I'm your host, doc, a former biochemist, turned high school science teacher and private tutor. Whether you're homeschooling your teen through high school science or teaching online, join me as I share tips and strategies I've learned over the years for at-home and online labs and activities, breaking down complex concepts and structuring learning in a way that makes sense. Now let's dive into today's topics.

Speaker 1: 0:59

Before diving into course selection, take a step back and consider your teen's long-term goals for science. If your teen is planning to pursue a STEM field, they'll likely need honors or AP level classes Now. If they're looking at pre-med engineering or another really science-heavy field, then you definitely want to consider moving into advanced placement level AP level courses after honors. If your team is focused on humanities, business or arts, a standard or introductory level science course may fit better. The goal here is to build confidence and understanding without unnecessary intensity. You also want to take a moment and review what's already on their transcript. If they've taken biology and standard chemistry, then the next step may be a physics course or honors or AP level chemistry course. Now, if they struggled in chemistry, then you may want to consider a refresher or a standard level physics course. This may be a better choice before tackling a more advanced science. If you need a refresher on sequencing science courses, revisit episode one. Once you know your team's goal, it's time to match them to the right course level. Introductory is ideal for students new to science and those who need to strengthen those foundational skills before moving on. Standard is a solid science education without the preparing for STEM fields and or preparing for advanced placement courses, which leads to AP courses. These are college level courses and they require a strong foundation in not just skills and math, but also commitment. This is why I recommend completing an honors or standard level course before moving into the AP version of that course, because AP is college level and they are expected to know a foundation of that course before moving into that advanced level. If you want more details on each of these levels, go back and listen to episode 21 for a full breakdown. Now that you've chosen the right level, think about your teen's learning style and your family's schedule.

Speaker 1: 3:31

I'm going to talk about three ways for class instruction in an online environment Live group classes, self-paced courses and one-on-one tutoring. Now, live group courses are best for structure and interaction. They are ideal for students who thrive in a structured environment with a set schedule. They usually have live weekly sessions, maybe one or more, with interactive discussions, hands-on virtual labs and other activities. Examples of this would be my live group chemistry and physics courses, which I teach on OutSchool. We meet once a week. There are full curriculum courses. Students engage with me, with each other, with the content, and then they will have homework to practice the problems.

Speaker 1: 4:17

The second type are self-paced courses. Now, these are really good for flexibility and independence, and they are perfect for teens who need to learn at their own pace, but they still want some type of guided lesson or practice. These usually consist of pre-recorded video lessons, guided exercises and, in my case, virtual labs. An example would be my self-paced chemistry course, and this offers step-by-step guidance for students who prefer to move more on their own speed, but is offered over a drip platform that keeps it structured. The third thing that I want to talk about are one-on-one tutoring. Now, this is best if you need more personalized one-on-one support throughout the curriculum, and these are great for students that need additional help with specific topics or have needs that make it difficult for them to participate in group settings. I use manipulatives, simulations, hands-on demonstrations, just to name a few. I use manipulatives, simulations, hands-on demonstrations, just to name a few, to break down complex concepts in a way that makes sense to your child's specific needs and their interests. If you want more details on any of these formats, check out episode 22, where I break down live group classes, self-paced courses, as well as tutoring.

Speaker 1: 5:37

Let's move on to the planning process Mapping out the school year. You want to decide when your team will work on science, whether it's the mornings, the afternoons or the evenings. You want to pick the time that works best for them, as well as your family, and then how many days per week will they dedicate to the course. This is important so that you can map out how long it will take them to get through different aspects of the curriculum. Set a schedule and help them maintain that schedule. For example, if you're enrolling in a live group class, set aside time for the weekly sessions as well as the homework. If it's a self-paced course, then you want to map out the course in the calendar so students know where they should be and when they should be there, and also make sure that you allow time for makeup and repeat of assignments that they didn't quite grasp, because they're going to need that content as the content builds upon itself. Another thing that you want to do with this calendar is put in any known time that will take away from their studies, and this can be vacations, appointments, as well as time to enhance learning like field trips or internships.

Speaker 1: 6:49

The next thing you want to do when planning for success is to set goals and monitor progress. Set aside time each week at least every two weeks to discuss what went well, what did not go well and what they want to master, for example, getting better at stoichiometry or more practice with Newton laws and physics. Then set a learning goal. An example may be that they will practice a stoichiometry problem at least three times a week in addition to any homework. The key here is to plan those check-ins, set a time that they must complete this by and check in to see how they do. Now, this is not a penalty if they do not do it. However, it is a time to consider those obstacles and discuss those strategies to overcome those obstacles.

Speaker 1: 7:37

Now let's talk about some courses that I offer. I mentioned my live group classes and my self-paced courses. Now, with my live group classes, I offer these on OutSchool. They are full curriculum courses in high school chemistry and high school physics. We meet once a week for live interaction. They have practice with a graded option. These are great for students that need that live interaction. On the other hand, my self-paced chemistry course is more for students that need more flexibility in their learning. This course is drip style. By that I mean that lessons are released every two weeks and it gives them time, without the overwhelm of seeing all the lessons there at once, to work through the course. And it also gives you time to make sure that they're not skipping ahead, that they're understanding the material, and it helps you to better monitor their progress. Both of these options are great for students that are homeschooling or need additional support to their traditional class.

Speaker 1: 8:43

I hope by now that you see that planning your teen science classes for the fall does not have to be overwhelming. Keep things for success considering their goals, choosing the right level of course and finding that format that best fits your family needs and your teen's learning style. And remember to plan for success by setting up that calendar that maps out your curriculum as well as any other activities that you know now to help you better plan for later. Let me know if you have any questions, ideas or other experiences that you'd like to share. Head on over to my podcast page, which you can access by visiting my website at thesciencementorcom. Then select podcast from the menu and subscribe now to the Teaching High School Science podcast for your regular dose of motivation and just-in-time science ideas, and together let's make high school science a journey of exploration and achievement. Until next time, remember, curiosity leads to endless possibilities.